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Family Bios: June 2, 2018 (Morning)

We will meet a family from Ethiopia. The mother in this family (currently 19 years old) left Ethiopia with a friend when she was 14 years old. She arrived in Nairobi and lived in a home for single women for five years before being relocated and settled here. She arrived on Valentine’s day with her 5 year old daughter. The mother understands some English and will enroll in English classes. She likes vases with flowers in them. The daughter is she counts to ten, knows her ABC’s and is very eager to learn. They have met another family who lives near by and is helping them get to the store and adjust to their life here.

We will meet a woman originally from Pakistan. She taught English and Social Studies to children in first and second grade. She is Christian and taught mostly Muslim children, because of the religious difference her life was threatened so she left for Sri Lanka. She lived there three years before being relocated here. She has brothers and sisters who live in Pakistan. She has a master’s degree in education and applied for a substitute teaching certificate. She is eager to find a job as a teacher’s assistant so she can learn the school system, then work her way to teaching. She has computer skills and is looking forward to having a computer and musical keyboard to help with her teaching. Her favorite colors are green and blue.

We will meet two men who were placed together as roommates. They are 51 and 53 years old and both from Pakistan. Back in Pakistan they both have wives and children with whom they hope to reunite.. The 53 year old man has not hugged his family for 5 years since he left Pakistan. He was detained while trying to get to Australia and sent to the island of Nauru. He explained conditions were extremely hard there: 20-25 men per tent, hot and humid weather, no trees for shelter, limited drinking water and expired food. Because they also have limited medical care on the island, he was sent to Australia for care and was arrested in the middle of the night and sent back to Nauru without medical care. In Pakistan, he owned his own auto repair shop for 28 years. He is eager to get back on his feet, buy needed tools and eventually open his own auto repair and body shop. He speaks English well.